The night started out as any other for tattoo artist Jeremiah Donnelly.

Finishing up inking his last client at 11 p.m., Donnelly went home to enjoy the rest of his evening – until he got a phone call bringing the worst of news.

On April 30, Donnelly’s shop, Prophecy Tattoo, caught fire around midnight, burning the back half of the shop and causing smoke damage to the rest.

By the time Donnelly arrived at the scene, the Sioux Falls Fire Rescue had already contained the blaze.

“They told me it got to 2,500 degrees in five minutes. If it had continued for five more minutes, there would’ve been nothing,” said the co-owner of the shop.

A girl that lived behind the shop saw the flames and made the call. It took the fire department only 15 minutes to stop the fire and released the scene to Donnelly at 4 a.m.

His first thought walking into the building was if anything was savable. Donnelly estimates there were nearly $50,000 in losses, including smoke damage to computers and melting all tools and equipment.

The Sioux Falls Fire Department concluded the fire started due to electrical issues, although arson was also suspected. The fire caused damage to the shop’s security footage, rendering them unable to do any further investigation.

Donnelly knew rebuilding the shop was a must. He took to social media to notify clients and stated that Prophecy Tattoo was looking for a temporary location until the shop was rebuilt.

Support came fast when fellow tattoo shop Permanent Addictions contacted Donnelly and his employees, inviting them use their shop and equipment.

Permanent Addiction use to be located near Prophecy Tattoo before moving to 49th Street. Owner Nick Call was quick to help Prophecy Tattoo in any way he could.

“It was like a piece of us was lost too,” said Call.

Prophecy Tattoo is expected to reopen its remodeled building in three weeks, according to Donnelly. The co-owner sketched out the floor plans for the remodel, keeping the exterior the same but drastically changing the inside by knocking down five walls to create more open space.

For future precautions, Donnelly and co-owner Shawn Jennings plan to increase their security by buying wireless cameras and sealing their windows.

Donnelly’s biggest piece of advice for fellow business owners is to up their insurance.